


Like the Dragonknight

by Azdaema



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Brother/Sister Incest, Gen, Just lil Sansa having a crush, Not an actual Robb/Sansa relationship, Pre-Series, Storytelling, childhood crushes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-08
Updated: 2018-06-08
Packaged: 2019-05-19 14:39:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14875671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azdaema/pseuds/Azdaema
Summary: That time Sansa had a crush on Robb when she was little, because she was infatuated with the story of Aemon the Dragonknight and Queen Naerys.





	Like the Dragonknight

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a few months ago. I just found it again, and figured why not post it?
> 
> So.
> 
> Targaryencest is a complete hypocrisy. "Incest is wrong. Unless you have dragons and could burn us to death for saying that. You guys can do whatever you want."
> 
> Westerosi parents are put in the unenviable position of having to teach their kids that incest is generally considered a sin, but without disrespecting their monarchs. And both before _and_ after Robert's Rebellion, kids are growing up on these stories of great Targaryens. Jaehaerys the Wise and Good Queen Alysanne, who ruled over Westeros's golden age. Aemon the Dragonknight, who's called the noblest knight who ever lived, even though a lot of songs claim he was having a treasonous affair with his sister Naerys. When those are your childhood heroes, what might a kid think? Especially a _young_ child, who doesn't fully understand the weird paradox yet?
> 
> It's easy to fall into the thinking that Sansa effectively grew up on Disney princesses. But she _didn't_ —she grew up on _Targaryen_ princesses, and that's rather different.

"Tell me about Queen Naerys again!" Sansa begged Old Nan.

"I've told you that one a hundred times."

"No you haven't. Whenever the boys and Arya are here, they say it's boring and ask you to tell the _other_ Dragonknight stories, the ones _without_ Naerys. Tell me the one about Naerys," she begged. "Please?"

The old woman sighed. "Very well. Let's see. Princess Naerys was born the daughter of King Viserys the Second and his Lyseni bride. They had three children: Aegon, Naerys, and Aemon. Naerys was a tiny thing when she was born. She almost died then, and a dozen times again throughout her childhood. She barely ate. But she loved music—she played the harp beautifully. Embroidery too."

"Like me?" Sansa asked.

Old Nan gave her a toothless smile. It wasn't _true_ exactly—no 6-year-old's embroidery was _beautiful_ , not even Sansa's. But the girl had talent, and it was clear that when she was older her skill would be lovely.

"Yes, like you. You have an eye for the little things. That's good—life is made of the little things, so you best pay attention." Old Nan coughed. "Where was I? Things that Naerys liked, yes. She followed the new gods, like your lady mother. She was quite devout. Comes from being so close to death as a child, I suppose. She would've been a septa, if she hadn't been destined to be a queen.

"She had two brothers, Aegon and Aemon. She loved Aemon because he made her laugh. But Aegon was the eldest, and he needed a queen while Aemon didn't. So she married him at her father the king's orders. Naerys and Aemon both cried at the wedding.

"Naerys had a son, Daeron the Good. She had many other babies after that, but they died. She was too sickly for a strong pregnancy. Naerys begged Aegon that they have no more children—they already had Daeron for an heir—but he refused. Aegon the Unworthy was a bad king, and a worse husband."

Sansa shivered. This was the part of this story she always hated. She didn't want to think about cruel husbands and dying babies. "Tell me about the Dragonknight again!" she pleaded.

Old Nan obliged. "Aemon joined the Kingsguard so he could protect her. The Kingsguard guards the queen too, you know, not just king. And he still made Naerys smile, and she still loved him for that. There were rumors that Daeron was actually Aemon's son, not Aegon's."

"What is true?" Sansa asked. She knew what Nan would say, but she asked anyway, as was the duty of a listener to a storyteller.

"No one knows. A southern knight once accused her, but Aemon defended her honor. Aegon didn't claim it was true until _after_ Naerys died. She was sick all her life, and no one thought she would live as long as she did. But she lived as long as Aemon did. And then she died, the year after he did." Old Nan spread her hands as if she was done.

"You forgot about the mystery knight," Sansa pointed out

"What? Oh, yes, so I did. One time Aemon won a tourney as a mystery knight and named Naerys the queen of love and beauty. Happy now?"

Sansa nodded happily. "Thank you Old Nan," she crowed. She curtsied politely, beamed at Old Nan, then bounded out of the room.

Sansa left with some vague inclination of finding her mother and the baby, Bran. But Lady Catelyn wasn't in her chambers, and so Sansa headed instead to Winterfell's courtyard, where she hoped to find her father. And he was there, watching Robb and Jon spar with wooden swords.

Sansa started to run, then stopped, and walked the rest of the way over gracefully, without rushing. Ned looked for a moment like he was trying to not laugh at this, but she didn't notice that—only that he was smiling fondly. He gave her shoulder an affectionate squeeze, and together they watched the boys below sparing.

"They'll be great knights one day, won't they?"

Sansa nodded in agreement. "Great knights. Like the Dragonknight."

Ned chuckled.

 _Like the Dragonknight,_ she thought. She watched Robb training and thought of Aemon joining the Kingsguard for Naerys, of him defending her honor against the slander of the southern knight. She thought of him entering the tourney as a mystery knight to name her queen of love and beauty.

When the boys finished sparing, they turned to Ned. Sullen Jon ignored Sansa, but when Robb saw his sister, he caught her eye and waved.

Sansa, suddenly shy, turned bright pink as she waved back.


End file.
